Flying to Ski Resorts from East Midlands and Birmingham Airport

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Flying to Ski Resorts from East Midlands and Birmingham Airport

Which airports, which routes, and which resorts are accessible from the Midlands without a painful connection. The realistic guide.

By Matt Greer planningbirmingham airporteast midlands airportgetting theretransfersflights

Most ski travel guides assume you live somewhere near Gatwick or Heathrow. If you’ve ever tried to cross-reference a list of “best ski resorts” with the actual flights available from East Midlands Airport, you’ll know how quickly that assumption falls apart.

This is the version written for Midlands skiers. What actually flies where, from which airport, with which operator, and how long the transfer takes when you land.

The two airports: what each offers

East Midlands Airport (EMA) is the smaller of the two and the one that Midlands skiers further north tend to use. Jet2 is the dominant carrier for ski routes from EMA and they run a solid winter schedule. Typical direct destinations in ski season include Geneva, Chambéry, and Grenoble, with Chambéry being the standout for Tarentaise resort access. The service is reliable, the baggage handling for ski equipment is well-practised, and the airport itself is manageable in size (no hour-long terminal walks).

The limitation: fewer routes than Birmingham. If Jet2 doesn’t fly it from EMA, you’re either driving to Birmingham or connecting somewhere, neither of which is ideal.

Birmingham Airport (BHX) has more carriers and more routes. easyJet, Jet2, and TUI all operate ski-season flights from Birmingham, which gives you more departure time options and slightly more destination flexibility. Geneva is the most consistent route. In most seasons there are also direct flights to Salzburg (covering the Austrian resorts), Grenoble (Alpe d’Huez, Serre Chevalier), and sometimes Chambéry, though the Chambéry route has been more consistent from EMA than BHX in recent years.

The honest picture: Birmingham wins on breadth, East Midlands wins if your specific destination is served by Jet2’s Chambéry route. Check both before committing.

Airport-to-resort: which airport serves which destination

Tarentaise resorts (La Plagne, Les Arcs, Tignes, Val d’Isère, Les Menuires, La Rosière)

Best airport: Chambéry. The drive from Chambéry airport to the Tarentaise valley is the shortest of any gateway airport: typically 75–100 minutes to La Plagne or Les Arcs, and around 90 minutes to Tignes or Val d’Isère depending on traffic and road conditions. This matters when you’re tired, coming off an early flight, and just want to get to the apartment.

Alternative: Geneva. The transfer is longer: 2.5 to 3 hours to most Tarentaise resorts depending on which one. Still manageable for a once-a-season trip, and Geneva has more flight options and more flexibility on operators and times.

From the Midlands: Jet2 runs direct Chambéry flights from both EMA and BHX in season. This is often the best combination available for Tarentaise resorts: direct flight, short transfer, arrives at a sensible time. Book early: Chambéry slots sell faster than Geneva because there are fewer of them.

Three Valleys (Méribel, Courchevel, Val Thorens, Les Menuires, Saint-Martin)

Best airport: Geneva. The Three Valleys sits further south and west than the Tarentaise, making Geneva a more practical gateway than Chambéry for most of the Three Valleys villages. Transfer time from Geneva to Méribel is around 2.5 hours; to Val Thorens it’s slightly longer.

Alternative: Grenoble. Grenoble works for the southern end of the Three Valleys, particularly Courchevel and Méribel, and transfer times are broadly comparable to Geneva. easyJet operates Birmingham–Grenoble in ski season; availability depends on the year.

From the Midlands: Birmingham to Geneva is the most reliable route for Three Valleys access. Book early for the best fares.

Portes du Soleil (Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz, Châtel)

Best airport: Geneva. The Portes du Soleil sits in the valley directly south of Geneva, giving it one of the shortest transfers from any gateway airport in the Alps. Les Gets is around 75 minutes from Geneva by coach; Morzine is slightly less.

From the Midlands: Birmingham to Geneva is the standard route. Jet2 and easyJet both fly it. Transfer operators: Snowexpress and Ben’s Bus both run this route at competitive prices. Book the transfer when you book the flights.

Alpe d’Huez and Serre Chevalier

Best airport: Grenoble. Alpe d’Huez is around 90 minutes from Grenoble airport; Serre Chevalier is about 2 hours. easyJet operates Birmingham–Grenoble in season; check availability as the schedule varies year to year.

Alternative: Lyon. If Grenoble doesn’t have the right flights, Lyon has more options year-round and the transfer to Alpe d’Huez is around 2.5 hours. More driving but a broader choice of flights and times.

Austrian resorts (St Anton, Saalbach, Kitzbühel, Ischgl)

Best airport varies by resort. Salzburg is a good gateway for Kitzbühel (~75–90 minutes) and Saalbach (~90 minutes). Jet2 operates Birmingham–Salzburg in ski season.

For St Anton specifically, Innsbruck is the better choice, with a transfer time of around 1 hour. From Salzburg to St Anton is approximately 3 hours, which is significant. The Birmingham–Innsbruck route is less consistent than Salzburg, but worth checking when routes open.

Alternative: Munich. Wider choice of flights (multiple carriers year-round) but longer transfers. Munich to St Anton is around 3 hours, to Kitzbühel around 1.5–2 hours. Worth considering if Salzburg or Innsbruck options don’t fit your schedule.

Italian resorts (Courmayeur, Cervinia, Livigno, Passo Tonale)

Best airport: Milan Bergamo (BGY) or Milan Malpensa (MXP). Ryanair operates East Midlands and Birmingham to Bergamo fairly consistently, often at low prices. Transfer time to Passo Tonale from Bergamo is around 2.5 hours; to Courmayeur it’s longer.

Courmayeur sits just over the Mont Blanc tunnel from Chamonix and can also be reached via Geneva (for skiers who don’t mind the tunnel transfer). Bergamo is the better starting point if you’re going specifically for Italian resorts.

Booking transfers

This matters more than most people realise. The right transfer can make a 2-hour journey comfortable; the wrong one can make a 90-minute journey miserable.

Book in advance. Transfer prices rise as the season approaches, and the best shared coach services fill up. If you’re flying in on a Saturday (peak change-over day), book your transfer when you book your flight.

Operators worth knowing:

  • Ben’s Bus: runs Geneva/Chambéry to Portes du Soleil and some Three Valleys routes. Reliable, good value.
  • Alpine Shuttle: flexible shared transfers from multiple airports to a wide range of French resorts.
  • Snowexpress: covers most major French and some Austrian routes.
  • Ski-Lifts.com: comparison tool for transfer operators, useful for finding options you haven’t considered.

Shared vs private: A shared coach is significantly cheaper than a private transfer (sometimes by £30–50 per person each way) but you wait for the coach to fill and may stop at other resorts on the way. For a group of four or more, a private transfer sometimes works out similar in price to four shared fares and is worth pricing both. Alone or as a couple, shared is almost always the better value.

Ski carriage: Check what your transfer includes. Some operators charge extra for skis or snowboards; others include it. It’s usually a small additional fee but worth knowing before you arrive with a board bag.

Flying with ski equipment

Dedicated ski bag or hard case: A padded ski bag is fine for most airlines. A hard case is more protective if you’re nervous about equipment damage, but considerably more bulky to handle. Most experienced skiers use padded soft bags.

Airline ski charges: Most major ski-route carriers (Jet2, easyJet on ski routes, TUI) have a declared ski/snowboard equipment option that costs around £30–50 return. This is almost always cheaper than trying to fit skis into standard baggage allowances, and the handling is generally better when the equipment is properly declared. Book it when you buy the flights, not at the airport.

Hire instead: If you’re a beginner or occasional skier and don’t own your own kit, hiring at the resort sidesteps the equipment travel problem entirely. Pre-book hire online for a 15–25% discount over walk-in prices.

The honest summary

For most Midlands skiers going to French Alps resorts, the combination that makes most sense is:

  • Tarentaise resorts: Jet2 direct to Chambéry from EMA or BHX, pre-booked shared transfer
  • Three Valleys / Portes du Soleil: Birmingham to Geneva (easyJet or Jet2), pre-booked transfer
  • Alpe d’Huez: Birmingham to Grenoble (easyJet in season), pre-booked transfer
  • Austria (Kitzbühel, Saalbach): Birmingham to Salzburg (Jet2 in season), pre-booked transfer
  • Austria (St Anton, Ischgl): Birmingham to Innsbruck where available, or Salzburg/Munich with a longer transfer

The one thing that makes the most difference to the whole journey is booking early. Flights, transfers, and accommodation all cost meaningfully less when booked months out. The ski industry runs on forward planning. Use it.